Traction gripping attachment for wheels.



, W. J. MATTHEWS;

TRACTION GRIPPI'NG ATTACHMENT FOR WHEELS.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1913.

Patented Mr.24,191 L Inventor v Attorneys ITED STATES WILLIAM JOHNMATTHEWS, or DE ROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRACTlZON enrrrnve ATTACHMENT son wnnnt's.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L-WILLIAM J. MAT- Trrnws, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and useful Traction Gripping Attachmentfor \Vheels, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to'improvements in traction grippingattachments for wheels, one object of the invention, being the provisionof an adjustableand detachable means adapted to be connected to wheels,such for instance as the tractor. wheels of an automobile when the sameis stalled in a soft road and wherein the tire.

has insufiicient gripping surface to propel the vehicle, the presentdevice being readily attached to incase the tread portion of the tireand a portion of the circumference thereof, whereby when the tractionstrain is thrown upon the wheel, the present gripping device will gripthe surface traversed and offer sufiicient'r'esistance thereto to assistin the propelling of the vehicle out of the mud, or rut.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter, which is preferably made of a plurality of hinged membersconnected together so as to accommodate tires of various circumferencesand having means for detachably connecting the same so as to embrace thetread of the tire at the desired point and be held rigid thereto duringthe rotation of the wheel.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope-of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Inv the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a Wheeland tire with the present device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a bottomplan view of the present device. Fig. is a cross section taken on line33 of F 2 with a portion of the tire in section; Fig. 4. is a sectiontaken on line 1- 1 of Fig. 2 with a portion of the tire in section.

Referring to the drawings, the present dei 'ice consists of two members1 and 2-, the inner faces 3 of which are curved to fit the Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Application filed July 12, 1913. Serial No. 778,815.

' transverse curvature of the tread portion of the tire T, as clearlyillustratedjin Figs. 3 and 1-, and one member is provided with thecentral apertured lug 5 andthe other member with the two spacedapertured lugs -6 for the reception of the hinging element orbolt 1, asclearly illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 4:. By this means it will be seenthat both.

members 1 and 2 may be flexed or swung to accommodate-any diameter oftire, thus rendering it unnecessary to carry in stock more than one sizeof the present device. The meeting edges of the members at 77 are cut ata slight angle so that the same may be extended or contracted and stillproperly fit upon the tread of the tire. The outer surface of eachmember, as clearly illustrated, is provided with the angularly disposedgripping ribs 8, 9 and 10, there preferably being three to each member,but it is to be understood that there may be any number that will proveeflicient. It is to be noted that the ribs are so disposed, as toalternate in their position of angularity and thus provide a meanswhereby when the device ciits into mud or other soft substance on theroad, the outer surface of each mem her will readily clear itself sothat the mud or other soft substance will not clog between the ribs.

In order to provide a means for attachlng the present device about thetire T and mm B of the wheel, a lug or bolt 11 is carried by each membernear the free end thereof and between the respective ribs 9 and 10 asclearly shown, and connected to each lug 1s a chain 12, which isdisposed to surround the tire and rim as illustrated in Fig. 1 to thushold the tractor device in place.

It will be noted that the face of each member 1 and 2 between therespective ribs has its edge curved as at 13 and 14, thus reducing thesmooth traction space of the devlce, and also assisting in the easywithdrawal or movement of the tread surface thereof from the surfacetraversed while the peculiar arrangement of the ribs 8, 9 and 10 Wlllpro duce the necessary gripping effect to prevent the whirling or rapidrotation of the wheel in soft surfaces as is incident in motor cartraflic, where the road is muddy and full of ruts.

With the present device, when the wheel of the motor car has becomestalled, it is simply-necessary to attachthe device so that the free endof one of the members will be brought into engagement With the surfaceeither adjacent the edge of the rut or into the rut, producing thenecessary gripping eifect upon the surface traversed to propel thevehicle in the desired direction.

What is claimed is A device of this character, including two members,two transversely disposed apertured lugs carried at one end of one ofthe members and in spaced relation to each other, a single transverselydisposed apertured lug carried at one end by the remaining member foraxial alinement with the two apertured lugs of the first member, a boltprojecting through the three lugs and hingedly connecting the memberstogether, said bolt and the lugs constituting a transversely disposedtract-ion rib at the junction of the members, the inner face of bothmembers being concaved to receive the tread surface of a tire, aplurality of transversely disposed ribs carried upon the outer face ofeach member, a chain attaching lug carried upon the outer face adjacentthe free end of each member, and a chain connected .to each lug forembracing the rim and tire of a wheel to secure the device in place, theribs of each member being inclined relatively to the longitudinal lengthof the members and the edges of the member between the ribs beingbeveled.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 'as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM JOHN MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

VILLIAM H. ROWE, EDWARD VVARREM

